Ophthalmic mounting



Sept. 21 1926. I

F. A. STEVENS OPHTHALMICMOUNTING Original Filed May 17. 1920' frzorAZ'Z I l7zvei9zfiori fiedzr/b/M ere/2a.

. Aiiorzze'yx otherwise deforming Patented Sept. 21, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT. oFFice.

FREDERICK A. STEVENS,

or PROVIDENCE, mom; ISLAND, assrenon, MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, 'I'O IBA'USCH AND LOMB OPTICAL COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW

YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING.

Application am May 17, 1920. Serial No. 381,898.

the metal rim at isolated points, as by means the like applied at of pins, screws, clips and the two rims the end pieces of the rims, or

may be secured throughout their length asthermore, it is impracticableto form the reby swaging the metal into recesses formed in the non-metallic rim or by pressing or non-metallic material has not been fully cured, it will shrink after it has been secured- 'upon the metal rim, and will thus tear itself away Whether well cured or not, if the non-metallic material is secured to the metal rim by deformation of either the metal or the nonmetallic parts, the resulting strains set up will cause the'non-metallic material gradually to shrink away from the metal rim, eventually becoming loose and very objectionable. 7

In Patent No. 1,293,232, granted February 4, 1919, the above-mentioned difiiculties are neatly overcome :by momentarily springing away parts of a thoroughly cured non-metallic rim to permit the insertion into a recess therein of a locking rib upon the metal "rim, the non-metallic material being sufficiently resilient to permit of this action, and

after the metal rim has'been forced into place within the non-metallic rim, the nonmetallic parts are sprung back into position.

The rims are thus securely locked together throughout their length and without subjecting either the metal or the non-metallic parts to permanent strain. A very serviceable and efiicient mounting is thus produced,

the non-metallic mate rial into firm engagement with the metal Renewed March 16, 1926.

the non-metallic rim remaining in place upon the metal rim through very long periods of time without any able change of position. quence of the method of uniting the rims. of

hitherto perceivas the lensis received within a groove in, the non-metallic rim, there is so little space left for the reception of the metal rim that the latter must necessarily be of comparatively small thickness andtherefore comparativelyweak.- Owing tothis small thickness, furof the general char- A necessary con'sethe above-mentioned patent, however, is that r acter described above that shall be' stronger,

more durable and cheaper than any heretofore proposed. a

With this end in view, a feature of the invention resides in transferring the lensfrom the attachmg elements.

receiving groove of the above-referred-to patent' from the non-metallic, rim to the for the reand the latter may therefore be made of greater thickness. OW- ing to this increased thickness, the recess may be formed in the metal rim and the locking rib upon the non-metallic rim, thereby increasing the thickness ofthe non-metallic rim also. The strength of each individual rim and of the mounting'as a whole is thusincreased. Incidentally, the process of setting the metal rim into the non-metallic rim is greatly simplified and the cost ofv manufacture considerably reduced;

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a view of a portion of a spectacleframelconstructed according to a preferred form of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the non-metallic rim removed; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken upon the line 3-8 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is aview similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the step of mounting the nonmetallic rim upon the metal rim; and Fig. 5

is a similar view illustrating a prior-art construction. As in the mounting of the above-1denti fied patent, the construction of which is illusduction, become materially the metal trated at Fig. 5, the ophthalmic mounting of the present invention comprises, a nonmetallic rim 2 having an annular slot 1 that divides the rim 2 into wings 3 and 5. The

slot is Substantially oblong in cross section and within it IS seated a metal mm 6 to which is secured a bridge 8 of a spectacle or eye-' glass frame. A spectacle frame has been chosen to illustrate. the invention and accordingly temple end pieces 10 are shown afiixed to the ends ofthe split metal rim 6. The rim -6 is also substantially oblong incross section and its cross sect-ional contour is about the same as that of the slot 4 so that the rim 6 may occupy substantially all the space of the slot 4. A tight joint between and the non-metallic rims is thereby provided. An annular recess 12 is provided upon one of the rims adjacent to an interior wall of the slot and an annular rib 14 that is provided upon the other rim is seated-within the recess to lock the rims together. The non-metallic material is sufiiciently resilient to adapt the wing 3 to yield or spring outwardly when the metal rim is forced into the slot 4, as shown in Fig. .4, thereby permitting the rib 14 to become seated in'the recess 12. The forcing action need be but momentary, the wing 8 immediately springing backinto position, upon the rib becoming seated, so that no permanent strain is imposed upon the wing 3 by the operation.

According to the present invention, the lens-receiving groove 16 is provided, not upon, the nonmetallic rim, as in the said patent, but upon the metal rim 6. Two chief advantages among others result, In the first place, the nonmetallic rim is rendered thicker and stronger and so a larger slot & may be formed therein for the reception of the metal rim. The metal rim may therefore be made of greater thickness. Not only is the metal rim strengthened in. consequence, but, because of the increased meta-l area, the bridge and the end pieces may become more securely fastened to the metal rim. Secondly, as but the one inner slot 1 need be formed in the non-metallic rim, instead of both a transverse slot and an inner lensreceiving groove, as in the patent, thenumber of operations performed upon the nonmetallic rim and,,therefore, its: cost of proreduced. metal rim, moreover, is more easily inserted into the inner slot 1 than in the corresponding transverse slot of the prior-art construction.

As the metal rim is of greater thickness, the recess 12 may be formed therein instead of in the non-metallic rim. The rib 14 may part-s biting ,into

The

L provided upon the latter rim, thereby further strengthening it. Both the metal rim and .the non-metallic rim are therefore stronger than in the patented structure and, of course, the mounting as a whole is stronger also.

Not oiny this, but, owing ,to the increased thiclniess' ofv the metal rim and the larger amount of availablematerial provided upon the non-metallic rim,'the metal rim may be provided with two oppositely disposed annular recesses 12 instead of only one, and the nonmetallic rim wit-l1 two corresponding oppositely disposed annular ribs 14 projecting inwardly'into theslot from the walls thereof. Symmetry of action and a more secure locking effect are thus obtained.

in order to prevent the ribs 14 becoming sheared of during the the metal rim in the slot 4, they are preferably formed substantially elliptical in cross section, with the major axis of the ellipse at right angles to the inner wall of the slot. Because of the elliptical contour, furthermore, the portions 18 of the ribs present inclined faces that are adapted to be engaged by similarly inclined or'rounded edges 20 upon the face of the metal rim opposite to the lens-receiving groove'during the forcing of the metallic 'rim'into the slot 4. The

accordingly be ronndededges slide over the inclined faces away in the slightest degree from the other,

there can be no breakage, due to sharp metal brittle non-metallic mate rial and each individual rim and the mount-- ing as a whole is more rigid and stronger than is the case with any ophthalmic mounting of this character heretofore produced.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact structural details herein shown and described, but that-modifications may be made therein within theskill of the'artisan without departin from its spirit and scopeas defined in t e appended claims. The recesses 12 and the ribs ii'iterlocking therein need not, for. example, be continuous or annular.

The invention having been thus'described, What is claimed as new is:

1. An ophthalmic mounting having, in

combination, a. split rimprovided with an to permit the ribs to means forloeking the'rinis together, one of the rims being constituted of resilient material and adapted to yield when the metal rim is forced into the slot to permit the locking means to become effective.

2. An ophthalmic mounting having, in combination, a rim constituted of resilient material provided with an inner annular slot dividing the rim-into resilient wings, and a second rim seated within the slot having a lens-receiving groove, one of the rims having a recess and the other rim having a rib seated within the recess to lock the rims together, one of the resilient wings beingadapted to yield when the second rim is forced into the slot to permit the rib to become seated within the recess. V

3. An ophthalmic mounting having, in combination, a rim constituted of resilient, non-metallic material provided with an inner annular slot dividing the rim into resilient wings, and a metal rim seated within the slot having a lens-receiving groove, one of the rims having an annular recess adjacent to an interior wall of the slot and the other rim having an annular ribprovided with an inclined face seated within the recess to lock the rims together, one of the resilient wings being adapted to yield to permit the rib to become seated within the recess when engaged by the inclined face during the forcing of the metal rim into the slot.

4:. An ophthalmic mounting having, in combination, a rim provided with an annular slot substantially oblong in cross section, and ribs projecting inwardly into the slot from the walls thereof, and a metal rim substantially oblong incross section seated within and occupying substantially all the space of, the slot and having recesses within which the ribs are seated to lock the ri us together.

5. An ophthalmic mounting having, in combination, a rim constituted of resilient, non-metallic material provided with an annular slot dividing the rim into resilient wings and with annular ribs projecting inwardly into the slot from the walls thereof, and a metal rim seated within the slot having annular recesses within which the ribs are seated to lock the rims together, one of the resilient wings being adapted to yield when the second rim is forced into the slot become seated within the recesses. v a

6. An ophthalmic mounting having, in combination, a rim constituted of resilient, non-metallic material provided with an inner annular slot dividing the rim into resilient wings and with oppositely disposed annular ribs projecting inwardly into the slot, and a metal rim seated within the slot having a lens-receiving groove and oppositely disposed annular recesses within which the ribs are adapted to be seated to lock the rims being rounded to together, the wingsbeingac apted to yield when the metal rimais forced into the slot to permit the ribs tobecome seated within 1.

therecesses. v V. I

1 \7'. An ophthalmic mounting havmg, .in combination, rim constltuted ofresrlient,

' non-metallic material roVi'dedwith an-inner annular slot substantially oblongin cross section dividing the rim into resilient wings and with oppositely disposed annular ribs substantially elliptical in cross section projecting inwardly into the slot, and a metal rim substantially oblong in cross section seated within, and occupying substantially all the space of, the slot and having a lensreceiving groove and oppositely disposed annular recesses substantlally elliptical in cross section within which the ribs are adapted to be seated to lock the rims together, the edges of the metallic rim upon the face opposite to the lens-receiving groove facilitate the insertion of the metal rim into the slot and the wings being adapted to yield when the metal rim is forced into the slot to permit the ribs to become seated within the recesses.

8. An ophthalmic combination, a rim provided with an inner annular slot of varying width, and a second rim seated within and shaped to conform to the slot having a lens-receiving groove, one of the rims being constituted of resilient material and adapted to yield when the second rim is forced into the slot to permit the second rim to become seated within the slot.

9. An ophthalmic mounting having, in combination, a split outer rim "constituted of resilient material having'annular wings forming between them an inner annular slot, the wings having portions located comparatively far from the body of the rim that are nearer together than other portions located comparatively near to the body of the rim, and a split inner rim seated in the slot and provided with a lens-receiving groove, the surface. of the inner rim being shaped to conform to the slot, portions of the wings engage the second rim to hold the rims against separation, the outer rim being initially, prior to its assembly tion of narrow cross-sectional width, aporwhereby the nearer-togethermounting having, in

tion of larger cross-sectional width, and intermediately positioned walls joining the said two portions, and an outer rim having annular wings forming between them an inner annular slot within which the inner rim is seated, the walls of the slot and theexterior surface of the inner rim being shaped to conform to each other, and the outer rim subscribed my name this l4th tlay of May,-:.

FREDERICK A. STEVENS. 

